The Shades of Gray
by Chaos2Frozen
Summary: While Leon learns the pleasures of giving in, Eve discovers that one of the greatest warmth is found in the dampest of situtations... [Eve X Leon]. I'm monopolizing this fandom! Muwhahaha!


Author's note : _Yo, due to not so overwhelming responses to my previous work, I am writing yet another Eve/Leon story. As it turns out, it seems that I'm REALLY the only one writing about this pairing! Hence I boldly declare now that I OWN this particular fan-dom!!!_

_Mwuhahahahaha!!!!_

…_Anyway about the story, it took me awhile to think off how to approach this piece, I'm not sure if I can make it believably romantic with their original personalities. After all, nobody likes 'out of character' for these kind of stories… Hey ,it ain't easy, I'm only one man here!_

…_Moving on…_

**Disclaimers: **I own Black Cat! All of it!! Mwuhahaha!! …. Okay, maybe not, but until proven otherwise, this pairing is mine!

* * *

**The Shades of Gray**

One dark and uneventful afternoon, Eve has been tasked with the mission of acquiring supplies for the team. Because they were planning to leave town the following day for a job, Sven wanted to grab as much stuff as they need before they go. After making a list, they first weed out the useless ones written by Train, then decided to draw straws.

Eve lost, but she had this nagging suspicion that Train had somehow cheated.

The task was a plain and simple, but it was also very mundane, hence she didn't think too much about it and was in a hurry to get it over and done with.

"Have a nice trip, princess!" waved Train, smiling like he had just won the lottery.

With that nagging feeling at the back of her head, Eve ignored him and power walked out the door.

Unfortunately, she paid the price for that mistake when in her haste, ignored Sven's warning about the weather.

As she was racking her brain trying to figure out what tricked he had used, she also overlooked the obvious clouds of gray looming menacingly above her head.

By the time she was about to leave the super market with the groceries in arms, the heavens had opened up and let out one hell of a storm.

With zero interest in getting she brand new clothes an early wash, Eve was left with no other option but to wait out the downpour patiently.

_Sigh, _Eve leaned against the wall beside the exit, feeling ashamed of herself for not noticing the signs sooner. Now she has to wait for the storm to pass, and from the looks of things, isn't going to happen anytime soon...

_This is so not like me… How could I not notice it was about to rain…_

"Fancy running into you here…" said a voice from her right.

Surprised, she turned to see whom was it that had abrupt her train of thoughts.

"Oh, it's you..." Eve was not expecting to meet him of all people at a place like this.

"You sound disappointed…" replied Leon as he walked up to her, with a similar bag in his arms.

"No, not really..." Then she noticed the bag. "Wow, you… shop?"

"Don't act so surprised…" Leon rolled his eyes.

"Erm, right, sorry…"

"But while we're on that topic," Leon eyed her bags with an amused look. "I wouldn't have expected the great princess to require so much… '_Nutrition'…_"

Eve knocked his head lightly with a fist morphed from one of her ponytails.

"They're not ALL mine…" Eve's cheek was slightly red.

"_Ouch_…" Leon mumbled as he shift the balance of the bag to his left arm so that he could massage his head. "Ok ok… sheesh…."

Eve lets over a sigh as she calmed herself down. She wasn't sure why but strangely, the only two people in the world that could get her all riffled up were Train and Leon.

"I'm suppose to bring these back to them, we'll be heading out of town for a few days…" explained Eve. "But because of the rain…"

"Heh… So even the princess has to work sometimes, huh?" smirked Leon.

"I don't suppose you have an umbrella?" Eve ignored that comment.

"Nope, I never bring one out…" answered Leon

"Sigh, I guess we're stuck here then…" Eve sighed.

"Seems that way…"

Leon positions himself on the opposite side of her. With nothing better to do to pass time, he decides to strike up a conversation.

"So, you guys are leaving town…"

"For a few days, yeah…"

"Must be tough,"

"We'll manage…"

"Yeah, I suppose…"

A few seconds of silence later…

"Must be nice though, being able to travel around, see new places, experience new things…" Leon began.

"Well then, do you want to come with me?" Eve interrupted suddenly.

"Huh? W-What?!"

"Do you want to come with us," Eve corrected herself quickly. "With me, Sven and Train."

Leon was stunned by her offer. "Are you saying t- ?"

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Eve quickly cut him off. "I mean, with you're ability, it would make our job much easier! A-And since you wanted to travel, I ju-just thought that maybe you would like to come, a-and s-so I…"

"You're babbling…" Leon pointed out._ She's so cute when she does that…_

"Never mind," Eve quickly stopped. "Forget I've ever asked…"

The two of them fell silence, the sound of the rain filled in the void until…

"Actually, I wouldn't mind you know…" Said Leon as he looked ahead.

"Huh?! You… wouldn't mind…?" Once again, Eve had been blind-sided.

"Yeah, not much to do anyway…" Replied Leon softly. "And you're right, I do want to get out to see new stuff sometimes…"

"I-I see…"

The downpour hardens, lucky for them the wind seems to be blowing the raindrops away from them…

_Wait, the 'wind'…? _Thought Eve.

"Well then, I guess its time…" Leon pushed himself off the wall.

"Huh? Wait, what do you mean by that?" Eve asked curiously.

"That was a nice chat, but I guess I should be getting back now…" answered Leon mischievously.

Eve asked, "Don't tell me y-"

A rush of air blew pass Eve, the leaves and others small trash that littered the ground was blown away. The gust of wind surrounded Leon, forming a barely visible oval-shape. As Leon walked out of the shelter, raindrops began to assault him, only to land on his air barrier and dripped off.

Eve stared.

"YOU CAN DO THAT?!?!"

"Well, it's something new that I've picked up, I'm still trying to balance out the…"

"Then why didn't you say anything about it!!" Yelled Eve.

"It never came up…" Shrugged Leon. "You just asked if I had an umbrella, which I don't-"

"Urgh! Never mind, catch!" Eve tossed her bag at him.

"Woah!" Leon hastily caught it. "What are you doi-?"

He didn't had time to finished his sentence as Eve dashes towards him…

* * *

"Hey, can't you make this any bigger? My shoulders' getting soak…" complained Eve.

"I wasn't expecting company," Leon pointed out. "And this is the biggest I can make it and HOLD it…"

This was an unexpected situation for Leon. In his arms were both his and her grocery bags. Clinching on to his right arm was none other Eve herself, squeezing close to fit into to smaller dry area in the barrier.

This waterproof shield was working remarkably well. Not only is it keeping the rain out, but it's also pushing back all the puddles on the ground, leaving their shoes dry.

"Take a left turn…" Instructed Eve.

"Yes, yes, yes…" Leon sighed.

Damn, my arm still hurts… 

"One 'yes' would do." Reprehended Eve.

As the two of them walk through the storm, Leon was pondering his situation. He was unsure why he had surrender to this girl. It's not like he owns her anything, and he of all people dislike having to split what's his with anyone, let alone a former adversary. After all, what could he possibly gain from losing?

"Could you take it easy? I can't feel my arm anymore…" Leon complained.

"That's not how you should speak to a lady," Eve scolded. "Beside, this shouldn't be too much for you to handle…"

"Yeah, but in case you've forgotten, I'm holding on to YOUR bag as well," Countered Leon, "So cut me some slack would ya…"

Eve tightens her grasp.

Leon let out a sigh. When he left to restock his fridge earlier, the last thing he expects was to run into this girl, have a ten-minute long conversation, then end up carry her stuff AND get his arm squeezed dead by the said girl.

Granted, the conversation was his idea, though most of it was silence. He actually had planned on sounding really cool all the way, but ends up just barely getting the words out and not looking like an idiot. But the result was quite surprising, he didn't expect to be invited to go with h- _them,_ he quickly corrected himself.

He did regret revealing his move to her though. Without given a choice, Eve hijacked his bubble and demanded him to reroute, saying how it's his fault for not telling her anything about it. Not willing to start a fight there, Leon could only give in to her demands.

Of course, it's not like Leon didn't benefit from this. He would rather die then to admit it, but deep down inside he was rather… 'Happy', to be clinched by her, after all it's only normal; she is quite attractive, and it surprises him how cute she looks when she tries feverishly to stay in the air barrier. Though he's starting to lose the feeling of his arm.

Comfort in discomfort. Leon enjoys this feeling.

Of course, he wasn't about to let her know that… yet.

* * *

Getting caught in a mini-hurricane was definitely not the ideal way to get through a day.

Although, Leon's barrier was keeping the rain water out, it couldn't keep the chilling winds away. As the two of them walked down the street, she could feel them cutting into her skin like knives.

The only source of heat was from the arm she was holding on so desperately. Without thinking, she tightens her grip, much to the dismay of it's owner.

It's not that she dislikes Leon, quite the opposite, she actually admires him for his will to survive against all odds, his loyalty to the ones he cares, as well as his skill as a fighter. He's also a fun person to tease, especial since she does know which buttons to push, and since he's not that type to take things lying down, it usually becomes quite a verbal spar between the two, resulting in a better understanding of each other.

So even if she doesn't want to show it, Eve was quite… 'Happy', that the one she's stuck holding on to like a lifeline, was Leon.

Funny how it also reminded her of an old piece of memory.

Quite some time ago, Eve had asked her guardians about the meaning of the phrase, 'Shades of gray'.

"_It is used to represent a place were two completely opposites factors, for example; black and white, can be found in each other…" said Sven._

_"Basically, a place where you can find the 'black' in the 'white', or the 'white' in the 'black'…" added Train._

Eve once again tighten her grasp and moved in closer.

_Warm… _She smiled to herself.

Eve found a pleasant warm in the midst of this raging, freezing storm. She likes this feeling.

Of course, she wasn't about to let him know that… yet.

* * *

Two blocks away… 

"SVEN! NO! Leave it! She doesn't need help!!"

"Let me go!! I won't allow this, you hear me?!"

"Come on! She fine on her own!!"

"No she's not!! What if she was taken advantage of?!?! I won't stand for this!!"

"Just give it up!!"

The two figures wrestled in the downpour. One trying to pull the and restrain him with the spare umbrella in his hands…

* * *

Aurthor's Note: _Woohoo! I did it! Finally… I hope I can pull it off as well as my first. Let me just say this, trying to write a romance fic with believable scenarios and no OOC is a damn pain in the rear. Well, it'll be some time before I get another brainstorm for this… _

_In the mean time, I'll be attempting to jump start my other stories again … _

_Oh ya, Fun fact. During the week where I was planing for this story, it was dry as a desert outside, but when I started to write it, it was freaking raining cats and dogs!_

_Weird, huh?_

(P.S, it's midnight here, please review and tell me if I had made any errors...)


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